At first look, Amer Didic's debut for Sporting KC on Tuesday was hardly unusual. He's one of nine players to do so in 2016, including four in as many weeks with the recent introductions of Cameron Porter, Emmanuel Appiah and Ever Alvarado.
However, the path on which Didic traveled prior to arriving at Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva, Trinidad and Tobago for the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League is anything but ordinary.
Born in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Raised in Edmonton, Canada. And recruited to Baldwin City, Kansas.
Didic's collegiate career played out at Baker University, where he earned NAIA All-American honors and Heart of America Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player recognition for the Wildcats last fall.
Still, few could have imagined that by the time his former teammates returned for their 2016 preseason that they would be gathered on campus to watch Didic take the field in the region's most prestigious club competition.
Didic wasn't invited to the MLS Player Combine in January, let alone among the 75 college players selected in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Instead, his pursuit of a professional contract saw him join the Swope Park Rangers for preseason.
By March, he had beaten out a contingent of other trialists for one of the final roster spots for the club's inaugural season. By May, he had worked his way up the depth chart to earn a starting spot.
And by today - August 16, 2016 - he became the first SPR player called into action by Sporting Kansas City, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 road result against Caribbean champs Central FC.
"I felt nervous at first. Once the game settled down, I thought I found my groove. It was definitely something I tried to enjoy, being my first time playing with Sporting Kansas City," Didic said of his debut. "We were unlucky to get a draw, but overall I was pretty excited."
"He was good. He did a good job coming in," Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes told the media postgame. "I think as the game went on, he got more and more confident. He did a very good job."
The 21-year-old rookie, the youngest player in Sporting's lineup, was tasked with defending Central FC's star striker, 31-year-old English Premier League veteran Kenwyne Jones.
"I knew going into the game that I would be man-marking him on set pieces and mostly marking him for the rest of the game," Didic said. "He's a big, physical presence and a very talented player."
"(Kenwyne is) not an easy guy to deal with, but (Amer) learned a lot as the game went on," Vermes said. "He got much better as the game went on. Amer is not used to playing against a guy with that strength and power. He learned very quickly."
Didic, along with Swope Park Rangers teammate Tyler Pasher, will remain eligible for selection by Sporting KC during the team's three remaining group stage matches in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League: Aug. 23 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Sept. 13 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Oct. 19 vs. Central FC.
The Rangers will next host cross-state rivals Saint Louis FC at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday at Children's Mercy Park. Tickets, starting as low as $8, are available by calling 888-4KC-GOAL or visiting Ticketmaster.com.
